The book sums up The 1st Heritage Forum of Central Europe, which was held in Krakow, Poland in July 2012. This important initiative was called into being by the International Cultural Centre (ICC) and jointly organised by the ICC and its partners from Prague, Bratislava and Budapest (under the auspices of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union).

Cultural heritage and its preservation as well as memory and identity in the context of Central European experiences – these issues are the prime focus of the International Cultural Centre since its inception in 1991. In 2007, the Centre was awarded the prestigious Visegrad Cultural Prize. Moreover, the Ministers of Culture of the Visegrad Countries granted the ICC a mandate to coordinate a group of experts on cultural heritage.

The Forum is a new initiative by the ICC called into being not only to enrich dialogue with neighbours on shared heritage, but, above all, to serve as an important voice from Central Europe in the global debate on the protection of cultural patrimony in conditions of turbulent change. The Forum's first edition created a unique opportunity to sum up the past twenty years of transitions and transformations in the field of culture and heritage in the region. It also identified and addressed shared problems and challenges in the field

The study comprises articles by eminent intellectuals and experts who participated in the 2012 Forum. The next edition is to take place in June 2013. The publication also contains the Declaration of the 1st Heritage Forum of Central Europe signed by the participants upon the Forum's completion.